The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman

A tattered scarecrow stands in the middle of a muddy field, taking no notice of the violent thunderstorm around him. But when a bolt of lightning strikes him, fizzing its way through his turnip head and down his broomstick, the Scarecrow blinks with surprise–and comes to life. So begins the story of the Scarecrow, a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant. Leaving behind his bird-scaring duties, the Scarecrow sets out for Spring Valley, with Jack at his side. As the valiant Scarecrow plunges them into terrifying dangers–battles, brigands, broken hearts, and treasure islands–he never realizes he’s being followed by the one family who desperately wishes he’d never sprung to life. Will the Scarecrow discover the secret to his past before the crooked Buffalonis close in on him?

PHILIP PULLMAN won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work. His books include the internationally renowned His Dark Materials trilogy. Mr. Pullman lives with his wife in Oxford, England.

The Guardian

The Scarecrow and His Servant
by Philip Pullman
230pp, Doubleday, £10.99
Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman, illustrated by Sophy Williams 72pp, Scholastic, £14.99
Philip Pullman hasn't been twiddling his thumbs since His Dark Materials.

Publishers Weekly

Fantasy Literature

In this case, various bits of the scarecrow fall off through his travels only to be replaced with other bits of paraphernalia, until it is argued at the end of the book that he is no longer the scarecrow that started his journey, but a different entity altogether.